Casket.



W. L. LAWRENCE & W. NOONEN.

CASKET.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1 1913. 1,096,81 6. Patented May 12,1914,

I r I I (/4 6 I s A -g z W/ T/vswso COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CO-LWASHINOION. D4 C.

UNITED sTArns PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN Ir. LAWRENCE, OF EUREKA, AND WILLIAM NOONEN, OF TREMON'I, ILLINOIS.

GASKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WARREN L. Law- RENOE and WILLIAM NOONEN, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Eureka and Tremont, in the counties of \Voodford and Tazewell, respectively, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Caskets, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to acasket sterilizer and body preserver.

The object of our invent-ion is to provide means for temporarily at least, preserving a body by destroying germs that promote decomposition, to absorb the moisture from the body and to bleach or whiten the skin.

Our invention consists in the main in the provision of a receptacle adapted to contain chlorin or other efficient gas and to hold the same hermetically; of means for liberating the gas when desired; means for conducting the gas within desired limits in the casket and freeing the same in a distributive manner.

Incident to our invention and essential to its practical e'liiciency there is the necessity of providing a casket that may be hermetically sealed, and therefore such an incidental feature inspires the suggestion that there must be provided between the closure lid or cover, and the casket body a gasket which will serve, when the cover or lid is screwed down upon the casket, to produce an air and gas tight joint, also it is essential to the carrying out of the'purpose of our invention that the normal and usual, orany joints that may be in the casket, shall be sealed by a substance, as for instance paraffin, and likewise that the normal opening in the casket cover and its glass closure shall be sealed with parafiin or the like. The whole purpose of sealing, as will be understood is that of preventing escape of the preservative gas when liberated within the casket.

Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical. sectional view through the casket and a section through the line aa of the gas containing and distributing mechanism of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a plan View of a gas containing and distributing device; and Fig. 3 shows the same subject matter as Fig. 2,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 17, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914. Serial No. 755,005.

except that a portion of the gas distributing element is shown in section to illustrate telescoping relation between the parts.

In the development of the modern burial art, embalming is a material element of advantage. Our invention is calculated to meet the emergency of the lack of facilities for attaining the advantage of embalming and at the same time, at least for temporary purposes, of furnishing a means to preserve the body, and in the application of the means to obtain all of the good effects of modern means of preparing a body for burial.

It is the recognized fact that there exists in nature a flesh destroying germ, against which the normal conditioncf living tissue is immune or inoculative, but when death occurs is subject to attack and rapid disintcgration, putrcfaction and decomposition. The embalming process is the normal temporary safeguard against the action of such germ. Certain gases, as for instance, chlorin gas, is a well known substitute for embalming fluids and the purpose of our invention is to utilize a gas that can be produced anywhere and upon a moments notice, for effecting at least a temporary preservation of the body and perform all the functions and obtain all the advantages of the best modern undertaking service.

In carrying out our invention, it is our purpose to provide a receptacle to be charged with chlorin, or equivalent gas, and connected conductors adapted to be extended to accommodate any association with the container to effect a disposal and discharge of the gas in a distributive manner, and in proximity to such portions of the body as may be desired. This distributor has a controlled connection with the interior of the gas container and may serve to liberate the gas at will, or to close it off. The gas containing and distributing device is designed to be placed within the casket. The container may be cushioned or covered and be utilized for a head rest. In practice, the distributors or gas conducting element may be extended at either side of the body to any length desired and be crossed underneath the same.

Referring to the drawings, 2 refers gencover being screwed down upon the casket,

the compression of the gasket will efiectually seal the casket. As an additional means of sealing, as we have heretofore indicated, sealing materiahas paraflin, maybe used to close all joints against the admis sion or escape of air or gases.

7 is. a gas container which may be made in any form desired, and of any material so long as that employed shall render the same impervious to gas.

8- are conductors or tubes adapted to be secured in proper manner in connection with container 7 and are made in telescoping sections, as shown in Fig. 3, to accommodate the extension of the conductor frame formed by the tubular members to accommodate their proper dispositionrelative' to bodies of different size. The tubular members are perforated as at 9' to permit the escape of gases that are adapted to flow therethrough.

10 is an extension of the tubular members 8,. adapted to communicate with container 7 bya close gas tight joint.

11 shows in diagrammatic manner, a valve which is adapted to effect a closure or openof extension 10 of tubular member 8.

In applying our invention, and assuming that the casket is suitably equipped to render air and gas tight, when the lid is placed and screwed down, the gas container with its tubular members attached is placed in the casket andthe tubular members properly extended, as desired. The body is then deposited in the casket in the manner disclosed in Fig. 1. Then the valve 11 is operated; to open extension 10 of tube 8, thereby permitting gas to flow through said tube. The cover is fixed to the casket and the latter being then hermetically sealed, the gases will be conducted through the tubular members and caused to escape therefrom and to encompass the body. If chlorin gas, or its equivalent, is difiused in the casket it will serve to dry the air therein and permeate the bodycontained in the casket, resulting in the destruction of all germs, thereby stayng, at least for a considerable period of time, decomposition or decay. Incident to the introduction of the gases is its action upon the skin serving to remove all discoloration and render the same perfectly white.

This process, applied as described, will effectually preserve the body, covering at least the normal period the body is retained for funeral service, etc., and also for shipment to distant points for burial, or until such time as further preserving facilities may be at hand or accessible. I

To eliminateany possible objection to our device as an invention that it is not sanitary, or that it is dangerous, we shall assume in its application that a sealed casket is employed, and as the gas employed is not combustible, it can in no way be dangerous to life or health.

The device presented, 1n the particular that it is automatic in its action, is of substantial and. material advantage over the modern methods of embalming, and upon this point we claim special credit.

e have disclosed herein one. form of em-v bodimentof our invention and; at present it is by us deemed the best. However, other forms may be employed and we do not wish to be confined to the particular form herein disclosed, but claim every form that falls within the spirit and principle of our invention. I

lVhat we claim is:

1. In a casket, in combination a gas container, perforated tubular members communicating with said gasv container, a valve for controlling communication between the container and the tubular members, and hermetically scalable means for housing the gas container and the tubular members, substantially as described. i

2.. In a casket, a gas container adapted t casket, and normally sealed against the escape of gas therein, perforated tubular members communicating with said container and designed to extend lengthwise of the casket, and a valve for cont-rolling communication between the container and the tubular members. I

3. In a casket, a be located within the head portion of said casket, and normally sealed against the escape of gas therein, perforated tubular members communicating with said container and extending lengthwise of the casket, an auxiliary set of perforated tubular members telescopically connected with the main tubular members, a stem projecting from one of the main tubular members into the gas container and a valve connected with said stem for controlling communication between the.

gas container, adapted to be located within the head portion of the l of gas therein, perforated tubular members I communicating with said container and extending lengthwise of the casket, an ELU'Xll iary set of perforated tubular members telescopically connected with the main tubular members, a stem projecting from one of the main tubular members into the gas con- In testimony whereof we have afiixed our gainer, and1 1a valve connected with said stelm signatures in presence of two witnesses.

or contro ing communication between he container and the tubular members, and her- E S QY E metically sealable means for housing the gas container and the perforated main and aux- WVitnesses: iliary tubular members, substantially as de- MARY E. COMEGYS, scribed. W. V. TEFFT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. G. 

